you win some and you lose some

[Dr. Bill Stacy]

Yesterday was a bad day. Had an old patient get ticked off at a member of my staff and vowed never to return.

What a bummer.

Then just now I opened an e-mail from another old time patient of mine and I'll share the entire text except her name/etc. :

Dear Dr. Stacy,


This week I am reflecting on the thoughtful and consistent service you have been giving Richard and I since the 1980's. We have been loyal customers and appreciate all of your guidance and help to protect and support our vision. You may or may not know, I called Tuesday to order another pair of glasses since I misplaced my distance glasses as I was heading out on vacation.


I am not sure who the receptionist was that helped me but I want to thank her especially and the staff who helped me so conscientiously. I informally mentioned we were leaving on vacation and my intent was just to order another pair of glasses by phone so I would have them when I returned from vacation. It was not my expectation to have the glasses done in one day. It was a great surprise when she said that you had the lenses in stock and I could pick up that afternoon.


The importance of this unsolicited gesture, was the vacation was a "Make a Wish Trip" for my grandson, Jacob, who is 16 and severely disabled. I had already reconciled myself to not having the glasses and going to Florida and Disney World without my sharp distance vision. As I am traveling across country and enjoying my new glasses, I wanted to send this expression of gratitude to all of your staff. I am so happy with my glasses and my ability to see even better at far distances. This special trip will be greatly enhanced and it is because the initiative your staff took, without me asking. If this is the quality of sensitive service all customer receive, I am not surprised your business has continued to grow and become successful.


We highly recommend you and all your staff to others.
Sincerely,


Wow. That made yesterday' confrontation a fleeting burp in the space-time continuum. This note will be remembered for a long time.

[Dustin.B]

I hope you shared that with your staff too. ^_^

[Dr. Bill Stacy]

I hope you shared that with your staff too. ^_^

I did, although it took a few inquiries to find out who it was. She's a keeper.

I made everyone read it though. Mean doctor that I am...

[CME4SPECS]

Things like that make it all worth while!

[Chris Ryser]

Wow. That made yesterday' confrontation a fleeting burp in the space-time continuum. This note will be remembered for a long time.

To provide a good and fast service in any type of industry is always appreciated by the customer.

Any optical retailer that can supply a pair of Rx glasses while the customer waits is automatically a winner in general.

However getting a letter thanking for the good service is more of a rare occasion and very pleasing.

I remember when working for my father in my younger years,
some Saturday when we closed early at 5 pm, the only female
Ophthalmologist in town called at 4.45 that she was sending over a patient from out of town that needed fast service and we should wait for her.

I called the our lab on 4th floor and asked the manager to stay longer.
Two older ladies arrived ten minutes later. Both of them were the wives of some farmers 20 minutes out of town by train.

The frames at that time were all in drawers and I showed them some of nicest and best ones. Then I was asked if I did not have anything better.

So I pulled out a solid, 14 karat gold frame and the woman just loved it and said that is exactly what I want.

Here comes the big surprise, the other lady was ecstatic and said "I want one too".

Both of them needed spherical ST lenses of which we had a good stock, and the uncut lenses and the frames went upstairs in our small glasses elevator.

25 minutes later the elevator bell rang and the finished jobs came down, were checked and adjusted and both paid with cash and were very happy to have a top class purchase while you wait and could take the train at 6.30.

That was service we gave, back in the late 1950s.

[Craig]

As a long-time volunteer, donor, Presidents Council member and most importantly as a wish grantor for Make A Wish, that made me so happy to read the note.
Families that go on a wish are given a gift that no amount of money can buy and what good is a trip if you can't see the world sharply.

Thanks for sharing and I guarantee that grandma will tell you the trip was the most amazing Family event they have ever had; no one travels like a wish family, they are treated like Hollywood Royalty and they deserve to be.

Craig

[Uncle Fester]

The fading courtesy of a gracious thank you note- A disappearing art.

Thanks for a nice day starter!!!

[colem84]

I did, although it took a few inquiries to find out who it was.

If you're anything like my Dr., you went up front and said "Who talked to Patient X yesterday?" and got deer in the headlight stares for a few seconds as they pondered whether or not they were in trouble.

[Dr. Bill Stacy]

I didn't do that, she takes enough flak already. But I did post the actual e-mail on my web site on a brand new testamonial page: http://www.folsomeye.com/testamonials.html and I even posted a copy of it on my front window.